Purchased this car seat before it was available through Amazon so returning this product is impossible. The car seat is nicely made with a lot of new features that I haven't seen with other common brand car seats before but these new features might bother some people and it might be a great thing. Bothers me a lot which is why i give it a 3.
1. if you don't have an extra base, which isn't available until November I think (I waited long enough for this car seat to release), latching the seat belt is 2 extra steps more than I'd like to deal with or trying to get a baby out of the car while it's 100* outside. The bright yellow latches have to be pulled, place the seat belt in, snap back in. The yellow latches are hard to pull and might break a nail (for women), and if your baby is a light sleeper like mine, he/she is guaranteed to wake from the tugging and snapping close noise. So what we have to do is switch the bases every time we use a different car... can become... Read more

I bought this car seat (sight unseen) after finding that it had super high safety ratings on the national highway safety and transportation website. Had I seen the product in person, I would have realized that it would not work for me.

Here are my problems:

1. The seat is enormous and much heavier than competitors. I cannot imagine hoisting this seat with a baby in it into my high-riding auto. Even more so as baby gets closer to the weight limit.

2. The seat is not compatible with my stroller. I'm not sure how often I'll use the snap-in feature, but I want the option. With this car seat, you HAVE to buy the companion stroller to snap-in.

3. As previous reviewer mentioned, the canopy is pretty small. Since I didn't use it, I don't know if it just looks small because of the size of the seat. Or, if it will actually not work well to shield baby from the sun.

I would recommend seeing this seat in person before buying. There... Read more

I've owned a couple car seats. I bought the Britax Chaperone, have the B-Safe for our second car (which the Chaperone does not fit in) and now the First Years Via. The Via is pretty large, but comparable to the Chaperone/B-Safe. The base is easy to install using the latch system, and I really like the 5-point harness (no re-threading!). It scores high with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - 5 stars.

It is well cushioned and roomy which attributes to its bulk/heaviness. I have never been one to carry my daughter around in her car seat, so honestly - it does not bother me. If you foresee yourself carrying around the car seat often you should know that this seat is made for up to 35lbs, it is larger and heavier then say the Graco Snugride and that may sway your decision to purchase it. If you're like me and only seem to lift car seats in and out of the car you really shouldn't have an issue.

My daughter sleeps best in her car seat (she's one... Read more